Biography of Isaac Newton Wade

Isaac Newton Wade. There are doubtless a number of men and women now in mature years who knew Isaac Newton Wade in Champaign County as a teacher. He was one of the early educators, and afterwards for a long period of years was a traveling salesman for a text book house. Mr. Wade is now living retired at Champaign, in which city he has had his home for the past forty-five years.

He was born in Lockland, Ohio, May 13, 1846, a son of Moses and Rachel (Ferris) Wade. His mother was a native of Mount Arie, Ohio, and died at Lockland. The father, who was ‘born in Switzerland County, Indiana, became a merchant tailor, and died at Champaign, Illinois, at the age of eighty-five. Of their five children the first three died in infancy. The fourth was the late Arthur Elliott Wade, who died at Urbana in 1916.

The youngest of the family, Isaac Newton Wade, acquired a liberal education. He attended College Hill (General Sam Gary’s College near Cincinnati), and subsequently entered Hillsdale College in Michigan. He was graduated from Hillsdale in 1868 and has the degrees Master of Arts and Master of Science. While at Hillsdale he was a schoolmate and friend of the famous poet Will Carleton, who sang his way into the hearts of many thousands in the previous generation and whose poems are still read and appreciated. After completing his education Mr. Wade taught school in Ohio until 1870, when he came to Illinois and continued teaching in Douglas County. His work as a teacher in Champaign County was done at Sadorus, Rantoul and Toulon. He was also located for a time in the schools of Bement in Stark County. Mr. Wade has a life teacher’s certificate for the State of Illinois, given him by the venerable Newton Bateman.

From practical school work Mr. Wade went on the road as a traveling salesman for a school book company. He represented the company over a large territory for thirty-six years, and finally retired on a pension from the company. Mr. Wade is a Republican in politics, is a Knight Templar Mason, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

In Douglas County, Illinois, in August, 1870, he married Miss Nannie Brian. Mrs. Wade died at Champaign a number of years ago. There were three children: George Leonard, now living at Kansas City, Missouri; Thomas Brian, member of the faculty of the dental department of the Philadelphia Medical College; and Fred Alonzo, of Peoria.